Off-Season News Recap and Highlights

Although we aren't quite finished, this has proved to be quite the dramatic off-season! There are so many different threads discussing coaching changes, events, and other news. I thought I should put everything together, as a nice little recap. This will be continuously updated until we finally begin the 2018-19 season. I am also working on linking everything, which is a lengthy process!

UPDATE: IN LOVING MEMORY
Rest in peace, Denis Ten. Your contributions to this world will never be forgotten. Thank you for everything, I hope you are at peace.

COACHING CHANGES
• Evgenia Medvedeva, Jason Brown, and Jin Boyang(?) to be coached by Brian Orser
• Madison Chock and Evan Bates to Marie-France Dubreuil
• Polina Tsurskaya to Elena Buianova
• Elizabet Tursynbayeva to Eteri Tutberidze
• Alexa Scimeca-Knierim and Chris Knierim to Aljona Savchenko
• Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov to Maxim Trankov
• Marin Honda to Rafael Arutyunyan
• Eunsoo Lim to Rafael Arutyunyan
• Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya and Harley Windsor to Richard Gauthier
• Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker to Marie-France Dubreui
• Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier to John Zimmerman and team.
• You Young to Tom Zacrasjek
• Kim Ye-lim to Tom Zacrasjek
• Anastasia Tarakanova to Evgeni Plushenko

RETIRMENTS (Confirmed):
• Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford
• Patrick Chan
• Max Aaron
• Daisuke Murakami
• Anne Line Gjersem
• Elladj Balde
• Liam Firus
• Lucie Myslivečková and Lukáš Csölley
• Kristina Asthakova
• Takahito Mura
• Alisa Agafonova and Alper Uçar
• Liubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch
• Kavita Lorenz
POSSIBLE RETIREMENTS (Unconfirmed)
• Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir
• Javier Fernández (to some extent)
• Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot
• Adam Rippon (Not official yet – simply stated he is unlikely to return)
• Misha Ge

Note that this is a mix of speculation and info from the skaters themselves. Javier stated he plans to only compete at Euro’s. Tessa Virtue stated she is uncertain of a return to competition. Bruno Massot is expecting a child, Aljona is focused on coaching. They are unsure if they will return for the 2019-20 season.

SIT OUTS
• Alex and Maia Shibutani, entire season
• Kaetlyn Osmond, Grand Prix circuit
• Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, Grand Prix circuit
• Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot, entire season
• Yan Han, entire season
• Mirai Nagasu, Grand Prix circuit
• Ashley Wagner, Grand Prix circuit

PARTNER SPILTS
• Abachkina/Thauron
• Lorenz/Polizoakis
• Castelli/Tran
• Duskova/Bidar
• Yumeng Gao/Zhong Xie
• Loboda/Drozd
• Seguin / Bilodeau

JUNIORS TO SENIORS
• Walsh/Michaud (CAN) - pairs
• Carreira/Ponomarenko (USA) - dance
• Skoptcova/Aleshin (RUS) - dance
• Shpilevaya/Smirnov (RUS) - dance
• Stanislava Konstantinova (RUS) – singles
• Daria Panenkova (RUS) – singles
• Rika Kihira (JPN) – singles
• Mako Yamashita (JPN) – singles
• Alexey Erokhov (RUS) – singles
• Alexei Krasnozhon (USA) – singles
• Pavliuchenko/ Khodykin (RUS) - pair

PROGRAM RULES AND CHANGES
• Backloading bonus limited
• Quad repetition limit passed
• GOE now ranges from -5/+5
• Arms above the head will not contribute to GOE
• Elimination of the compulsory steps before solo jumps in the short program

The ISU congress brought on a lot of changes, which can be further discussed here

FUN AND WORTHY MENTIONS
• Alina Zagitova received a puppy as a gift for claiming gold in South Korea
• Nathan Chen will attend Yale
• Yuzuru Hanyu wishes to keep competing
• Men can now wear tights for their programs (I just wanted to throw this in here!)
• Two Olympic judges suspended by ISU
• Gracie Gold is making a comeback
• China will not host any events this season
• Quad Axel race by Yuzuru Hanyu, Keegan Messing and Artur Dmitriev Jr.
• Alena Kostornaya gains a triple axel
• Alexandra Trusova gains a quad lutz
• Elizaveta Tuktamysheva has her triple axel again and is ready for the new season
• Ice Network ending
• Daisuke Takahashi to Return to Competition


This has certainty been an interesting off-season. So many changes occurred, I definitely missed a few things. So feel free to let me know if I need to add anything. I will keep updating this throughout the rest of the off-season.

I have a feeling Virtue/Moir will return for 2020 Nationals / 2020 4CC / 2020 Worlds in Canada, then will compete the 2020-21 season leading up to the 2022 Olympics in China where they will seek their 3rd OGM.

chuckm said:

I have a feeling Virtue/Moir will return for 2020 Nationals / 2020 4CC / 2020 Worlds in Canada, then will compete the 2020-21 season leading up to the 2022 Olympics in China where they will seek their 3rd OGM.

Click to expand...

I would laugh, but I thought so, too. P/C might be foiled again. That chances aren't high, though.

chuckm said:

I have a feeling Virtue/Moir will return for 2020 Nationals / 2020 4CC / 2020 Worlds in Canada, then will compete the 2020-21 season leading up to the 2022 Olympics in China where they will seek their 3rd OGM.

Click to expand...

It's very wishful thinking, but it can definitely happen. I think they are content with the way things ended.

HAN YAN IS NOT RETIRING. He's sitting out this season to recover from injury and had taken up a coaching job as well.

Fun and worthy mention

Alena Kostornaya starts sending 3a’s smooth as butter in practice. Kids these days :reye:

https://youtu.be/caGO6a9m4j0

Sam-Skwantch said:

Fun and worthy mention

Alena Kostornaya starts sending 3a’s smooth as butter in practice. Kids these days :reye:

https://youtu.be/caGO6a9m4j0

Click to expand...

Holy cow and with all those beautiful connecting steps too!! She looks like she may have had a bit of a growth spurt since JWC, has anyone noticed anything like that in the group photos, etc?

Savchenko/Masott are correctly placed in the "possible retiring" but should also be placed in the "sitting out" list, as they've announced they're skipping the Grand Prix season.

Elladj Balde and Liam Firus have also retired.

https://skatecanada.ca/2018/05/nati...j-balde-retires-from-competitive-competition/
https://skatecanada.ca/2018/05/olympian-liam-firus-retires-from-competitive-competition/

silverskates said:

Elladj Balde and Liam Firus have also retired.

https://skatecanada.ca/2018/05/nati...j-balde-retires-from-competitive-competition/
https://skatecanada.ca/2018/05/olympian-liam-firus-retires-from-competitive-competition/

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Thanks! I’ll be updating everything tomorrow after I get off of work.

And Liza got her 3A back!

This thread is a great idea. Since there really is *so much* crazy stuff this off season, it's hard to keep track - so thank you for compiling all the news!


The craziest news for me was definitely China not holding any events, and if we look at coaching switches only, Zhenya & Boyang going to TCC was extremely unexpected for me too

Maybe Trusova's possible 3rd quad should be added too?
Not perfect imho but there is potential to see a 3quad program in ladies next season

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr1B-zwj-vI

Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier to be coached by John Zimmerman and team.

Mysliveckova/Csolley retired as well.

Li'Kitsu said:

This thread is a great idea. Since there really is *so much* crazy stuff this off season, it's hard to keep track - so thank you for compiling all the news!


The craziest news for me was definitely China not holding any events, and if we look at coaching switches only, Zhenya & Boyang going to TCC was extremely unexpected for me too

Click to expand...

Agree :agree:

And the "official" announcements of the 4A-race by Yuzu and Artur Dmitriev Jr.
Both seem to be very serious and eager in this regard, so that could be pretty interesting

Sam-Skwantch said:

Fun and worthy mention

Alena Kostornaya starts sending 3a’s smooth as butter in practice. Kids these days :reye:

https://youtu.be/caGO6a9m4j0

Click to expand...

you'd think she was just going into a double the way she attacks it! NO hesitation or cautiousness at all! beautiful!

Henni147 said:

Agree :agree:

And the "official" announcements of the 4A-race by Yuzu and Artur Dmitriev Jr.
Both seem to be very serious and eager in this regard, so that could be pretty interesting

Click to expand...

I really want Yuzuru to be the first to land it, but good luck to both men! I hope they won't get injured in the process of trying.

Duskova/Bidar split, Yumeng Gao/Zhong Xie seems to spilt since he is now Li Xiangning’s partner. And Kristina Asthakova retired today. Her partner, Alexei Rogonov, is going to continue.
Young You and Yelim Kim is with Tom Zacrasjek.
And young you landed a 3a in her club’s competition. Alisa Liu landed a 3a-3t

chuckm said:

I have a feeling Virtue/Moir will return for 2020 Nationals / 2020 4CC / 2020 Worlds in Canada, then will compete the 2020-21 season leading up to the 2022 Olympics in China where they will seek their 3rd OGM.

Click to expand...

I would have loved to see their tango romantica and I feel like the rule changes would have been favorable for them as well. Judging by their interviews after the Olympics, returning to competition seems unlikely, no matter how much I wish to see them again.